ISS Astronauts Snap Photos Of Australian Bushfires’ Massive Ash Cloud From Space

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) recently shared a terrifying image of Australia’s bushfires from space. The image shows the immense ash cloud created by the bushfires creeping across the globe.

The photo of the effects of the natural disaster was captured from space by Luca Parmitano, an astronaut from the European Space Agency. He is currently serving as the commander of the ISS’s Expedition 61.

On Monday, Parmitano posted on Twitter photos of Earth he took from the space station. They show a massive cloud of ash covering Australia. It was generated by the bushfires currently ravaging the country, which have already burnt over six million hectares of land and claimed the lives of over a billion animals in the country.

Like Parmitano, other astronauts aboard the ISS have already witnessed past wildfires from space such as those in California and the Amazon last year. However, the ISS commander noted that the current disaster in Australia is the worst he and his fellow astronauts have seen so far.

“Talking to my crew mates, we realized that none of us had ever seen fires at such terrifying scale,” Parmitano posted.

Aside from the ISS astronauts, NASA’s satellites are also monitoring Australia’s bushfires from space. According to the agency’s recent findings, the smoke clouds generated by the fires have gotten so big that they have already started creating their own weather and causing severe air quality issues.

These clouds, which have already triggered thunderstorms over different parts of Australia, have already reached the stratosphere and have started drifting away from their original source. However, according to NASA, even though these smoke clouds have already moved away from Australia, they could return to cover the country again. The agency noted that the clouds are currently traveling across the planet.

“Beyond New Zealand, by Jan. 8, the smoke had traveled halfway around Earth, crossing South America, turning the skies hazy and causing colorful sunrises and sunsets,” NASA stated. “The smoke is expected to make at least one full circuit around the globe, returning once again to the skies over Australia.”